Sustainable Engineering of Polyethylene Fiber Materials: Advancing Functional Properties of Diverse Textile-Based Structures

This thesis explores pathways to circularity for polyethylene-based textiles through an integrated framework that combines material experimentation, systems-level policy analysis, and cultural innovation. Focusing on olefin block copolymer (OBC) filaments—engineered with semicrystalline polyethylene hard segments and elastomeric soft blocks—the study evaluates their mechanical behavior across a range of stitch-based textile geometries. Cyclic and postfatigue tensile testing reveals how formulation and structure shape energy dissipation and durability, informing design strategies for high-performance applications such as intra-vehicular spacesuits and wearable technologies. To understand the broader systems context, the thesis analyzes barriers to integrating recycled polyethylene (rPE) into textile supply chains, identifying economic, legal, institutional, technological, firm-level, and societal constraints. It proposes targeted strategies based on global policy trends, EU case studies, and a geospatial analysis of U.S. recycling infrastructure. Finally, the work explores how generative AI can revitalize traditional craft practices—such as bobbin lace—by co-creating patterns designed for both aesthetic and functional performance in new materials. Together, these efforts propose a model for advancing sustainable textile innovation that bridges material science, circular design, and policy transformation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Huynh, Amy

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Boriskina, Svetlana
• Ashford, Nicholas
• Mueller, Stefanie

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
• Copyright retained by author(s)

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/162434

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/162434